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Getting There

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Page Contents

Getting to Kenya
Getting to Moi's Bridge
Out and About
Communications

Getting to Kenya 

 

It is difficult to recommend a particular travel agent, although Trailfinders in the UK (visit their website to find the relevant phone number) has been consistently very good, although they have no on-line booking facilities. Another travel agent worth contacting is Key Travel, who are based in the UK and specialise in arranging travel for charities. They can organise journeys starting in any country, not just from the UK. It’s important to go with whoever gives the most personal attention and makes the most effort to find the best deal. Most budget/student ticket agencies along with airlines are now accustomed to catering to ‘open-jaw’ tickets — flying into one destination and out of another.
On the Costs involved page you will find a link to a price comparison site for flights if you wish to book that way.

Please note that it is very important to take out good travel insurance when purchasing your airline ticket so that, if you are unable to travel to Kenya due to a medical problem, for example, you can get a refund on your ticket. (see  Costs involved page for links)
Nairobi to Moi's Bridge  
Moi's Bridge is 370km (220miles) from Nairobi so if your flight into Nairobi arrives during the day you will need to book hotel accommodation in Nairobi for that evening (and for your return). Some travel agents will arrange pick-ups or you may prefer to use a taxi - carry your own baggage - it may cost more than you expect if you use the services of one of the many pushy willing "volunteers" who will offer their services to carry your luggage to the Taxi.
If there are a number of people arriving together from different destination we will put you in touch with each other so you can perhaps stay at the same hotel and maybe share transport to Moi's Bridge.
Full details of how to get from Nairobi to Moi's Bridge are downloadable for printing here (currently a blank document since at the moment Maurice will meet you and accompany you to Moi's Bridge)

Nairobi to Moi's Bridge by a hired Taxi. This is most convenient and reliable means of transport especially for visitors from abroad. Maurice will meet volunteers at the Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Airport or at their hotel and accompany them to Moi’s bridge.

Hotel accommodation at Nairobi plus Breakfast will be KES 2500 per person per night. (you can pay a lot more depending on the type of hotel you stay in)

On a bus each person will pay KES 1000 from Nairobi to Moi’s bridge. (£10)

A taxi (one way) could cost KES 18,000 to drive from Nairobi to Moi’s bridge. It seems expensive at over £160 for one person  OK if there are a few people to share the charge. We are looking at various alternatives - watch this space and have got it down from 25,000 to 18,000 so far)

 

Out and about from Moi's Bridge

During your stay you will want to visit other places locally or even further afield. If you want to go on Safari (highly recommended) we can help you plan it before you go out to Kenya. In general it can be cheaper to pre-book but we will make sure you are aware of the options.
Locally the nearest larger town is Kitale only 20 km away and you can easily get there by local transport. Either your host family or Maurice or Evelyn can give you up-to-date information about times and fares. if there are a number of you it may be worth hiring a Taxi for the day. This could extend the range of places and site you see, Eldoret is another large town about 70 km back towards Nairobi. Again you can get up-to-date information when you are there.
 

Local transport to Kitale is frequent but can unreliable at times especially in the evenings.
The return bus fare is KES 160 per person

 Local transport to Eldoret is frequent but can unreliable at times especially in the evenings.
The return bus fare is KES 340 per person.

Taxis are readily available. To Kitale it would cost KES 2200 for the return journey.
A taxi to Eldoret including return would be KES 4500.
Always agree the price with the driver first, tipping for good service is acceptable. Remember, you may want to use a taxi many times during a stay ay Moi's Bridge.

Swimming at Soy Club is always open to visitors at a cost of KES150 per person. Soy is between Moi's Bridge and Eldoret, nearer Eldoret than Moi's Bridge.

Kitale club is a private club in Kitale but open to visitors at a cost of KES 200 per person for swimming.

 

Volunteers will have the opportunity to visit local game reserves & parks if they desire so during their spare time.



 

headtorch info site

Pacsafe web site

prices quoted are January 2009

 

CommunicationsBased on information from Ripple Africa's website - see our links page

E-mail: There are internet cafes / cyber cafes in Kitale which are quite reliable and costs about KS1 per minute - about 60p or US$1 per hour. Maurice has access to email via his mobile phone. Currently there is no electricity at the accommodation.

Mobile (Cell) Phones: There is good coverage and we strongly advise our volunteers to bring a mobile (cell) phone with them (make sure it is “unlocked” and can be used on any network). You can buy a SIM card in most of the towns in Kenya, and top up vouchers can be purchased nearly everywhere. SIM cards costs from KS 50 - KS100.Top Up Cards can be bought with values from KS 20 to KS 1000. If you text your family and friends with your Kenyan mobile number, they will be able to phone or text you directly. We are going to put in solar charging unit for mobile phones at the centre since at the moment you have to take your phone to a shop to get it recharged - make sure your battery is good before you go!

Telephone: There are telephones in Moi's Bridge but International calls are always prone to problems and high charges

Skype Phone: If you want to keep in contact with people back home, we would suggest that they phone using Skype which is VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol). By using Skype Out, calls cost £0.045 per minute from the UK to a Kenyan mobile (cell) phone. Alternatively, they can use cheap phone call providers like Planet Talk Instant. (only 6p a minute to a Kenyan Mobile from the UK)

Post: The postal system is erratic but seems to work. The last small parcel we sent to the school from the UK took 3 1/2 weeks to get there (October 2008). There is a PO Box for the Centre that you can use.

It is suggested that you do not to promise friends and family a specific date you will be in touch after arriving as there are so many factors involved — including lightning striking the phone lines! A week to two week ‘deadline’ after arriving at Moi's Bridge is a much more sensible approach.